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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Ranking of cities in Canada for 2026. Surrey leads with a cost index of 118 and rent of $2,200/month.
Ranking of cities in Canada for 2026. Surrey leads with a cost index of 118 and rent of $2,200/month.
Surrey ranks #1 with a cost index of 118 and rent of $2,200/month.
Average cost index across these cities: 115 (+14 vs national average of 101).
Average quality of life: 58/100. Top: Surrey at 56/100.
Safest city: Mississauga (70/100 safety score).
| # | City | Cost Index | Rent/mo | Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Surrey | 118 | $2,200 | $70,000 |
| 2 | Mississauga | 112 | $2,200 | $76,000 |
Let's cut to what actually matters here. Surrey stands out as the top-ranked city in this analysis. With a cost index of 118 and median income of $70,000, it offers competitive value despite costs slightly above the national median. That's a strong position by any measure.
On quality of life, Mississauga leads with a composite score of 60/100 — reflecting its safety (70), healthcare (76), and walkability (45) metrics. And there's one more thing: affordability and QoL don't always move in the same direction, and Canada is a good example of that tension.
Surrey — cost index 118, rent $2,200/mo, income $70,000, QoL 56/100.
Mississauga — cost index 112, rent $2,200/mo, income $76,000, QoL 60/100.
The country average QoL score is 63/100. Surrey leads with 56/100, reflecting its safety, healthcare access, walkability, and green space.
Our index is benchmarked to 100 (national median). Sub-categories cover housing, food, transport, utilities, and healthcare. Data sources include Statistics Canada, CMHC, CRA.
Surrey (ranked #1) has a cost index of 118 and rent of $2,200/mo. Mississauga (#2) has index 112 and rent $2,200/mo — a 6-point gap.
This analysis uses data from Statistics Canada, CMHC, CRA to rank cities in Canada. The cost of living index is benchmarked to 100 (national median). Quality of life scores combine safety, healthcare, walkability, air quality, green space, and transit metrics. Salary ranges use national occupation data adjusted for local cost differences. Data is updated regularly to reflect current market conditions.